Looking Back: Christmas in Acton in 1986

THE Gazette issued in Christmas week 24 years ago was buzzing with stories that summed up the spirit of the season. In contrast with current headlines of government cuts and Wikileaks, the stories from that time helped to put a smile on people's faces.

Stories of good fortune, kindness and goodwill dominated the first few pages of the paper during Christmas week.

The headline 'Flo's full house' greeted readers of the front page, reporting that a 57-year-old woman had won £36,000 thanks to her beloved pastime.

Flo Black was able to win big at Savoy Bingo in the Westway, East Acton. Despite her riches, she was keeping both feet on the ground. She told the Gazette: "I'll be buying extra special presents for my children and grandchildren."

Flo kept her financial common sense intact, saying she would put the bulk of the money in to her building society account. But she added she would also treat herself and her husband Peter to an exotic holiday in the new year.

Flo, who worked as a glass-washer at Hammersmith Hospital, attended bingo sessions for two decades before she got lucky.

"For 20 years I've come here for a laugh and to relax with my friends after a hard day at work," she said. "The prizes have been a bonus."

And what a bonus. It turned out her win was the biggest in the club's 20-year history.

Also on the front page, it was reported that a handicapped woman was being given a new wheelchair, thanks to the efforts of Gazette readers.

Teresa King, who suffered from cerebral palsy, benefited from a reader campaign to help those in need during the festive season after a crooked social worker stole her money to help pay off his debts.

The theft dealt a cruel blow to Teresa's independence, but the £700 she got from the appeal provided her with a state-of-the-art wheelchair.

Thanks to readers' generosity, she was able to leave her community home in Cheriton Close, Ealing, and have a much happier Christmas.

But by far the most incredible story in that week's Gazette was that of Manish Joshi. The young boy was given an extraordinary Christmas gift - a pair of prosthetic arms - again thanks to the support of Gazette readers.

Manish had travelled from India with his parents in the hope that he would be able to get new arms in the UK.

His parents said Manish was a bright, intelligent boy but, without the limbs, he would be unlikely to get a job and support himself.

The boy had got used to living without arms - a picture on page 3 of the paper showed him answering the telephone using his feet.

His family had spent 10 years trying to find arms for their son, and at one point it looked as if all hope was lost.

At the beginning of that year, they were told by a specialist that the arms would cost at least £4,000 - a figure far beyond their means, not least because they were working hard to support themselves while staying in King Street, Southall.

Gazette readers came to the rescue with the Helping Hands campaign, the same fund that helped Teresa King.

Editor Gary Gurmett said he would be urging readers to keep the fund topped up with donations throughout the year.

Readers dug deep and managed to come up with a whopping £10,000, more than the twice the amount the family was originally quoted. A heart-warming picture showed a delighted Manish being fitted with his arms by specialist Barry Fazackeley.

The arms, which were operated by buttons, gave Manish the opportunity to pursue his 'dream job' in either the army or the Indian Civil Service.

The boy's father, Satish, who worked for Air India, said he had friends who had promised to help Manish find a job when he returned to his home country.

All in all, these stories helped remind readers that good things come to those who wait and miracles really can happen. In other words, the perfect Christmas message.

**Do you have any memories of the people mentioned in this story? If so the Gazette would like to hear from you. Email edit@trinitysouth.co.uk